Portable holder for smoking article

ABSTRACT

A portable apparatus for holding smoking articles is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a semi-circular member formed from a metal comprising a first melting point, and a coating disposed on that semi-circular member, where that coating comprises a second melting point, where the second melting point is greater than the first melting point. The apparatus further comprises a shaft having a first end and an opposing second end, where the semi-circular member is attached to the first end, and where the second end tapers to a point.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to a portable holder for smoking articles, and more particularly to a portable apparatus for use on a golf course.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Occasionally, golfers smoke cigarettes, and/or cigars, and/or a pipe, while playing their game. The time spent waiting for their partners or traveling to the next hole provides ample opportunity to enjoy a smoke. Generally, it is not practical to bring along an ashtray or other retaining means because of the bulk involved with such a device.

There are few if any places on a golf course, however, for the golfer to rest his smoking article, when necessary. As such, the golfer is typically forced to place his lit smoking article on the grass. As a result, the end of the cigar that is placed in the mouth comes into contact with, inter alia, chemicals, such as herbicides, dirt and insects.

As an alternative, the golfer may elect to extinguish and discard the lit article. As a result, the golfer partially smokes, and then discards, a plurality of smoking articles. Depending on the disposal practices of the golfer, such a practice may lead to debris being scattered on the course.

Similar problems can be encountered by sports spectators. For example, the popularity of youth football, little league baseball, and youth soccer in this country has meant that spectators spend a great deal of time sitting in chairs on the edge of a field.

There is a continuing need for a portable holder for smoking articles, where that portable apparatus manages the heat released from the lit cigarette, cigar, and/or pipe, such that the apparatus can be conveniently and safely handled and carried.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Applicant's invention comprises a portable apparatus for holding smoking articles. Applicant's apparatus comprises a semi-circular member formed from a metal comprising a first melting point, and a coating disposed on that semi-circular member, where that coating comprises a second melting point, where the second melting point is greater than the first melting point. Applicant's apparatus further comprises a shaft having a first end and an opposing second end, where the semi-circular member is attached to the first end, and where the second end tapers to a point.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood from a reading of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which like reference designators are used to designate like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of Applicants' portable holder for smoking articles;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of Applicants' portable holder for smoking articles;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of Applicants' portable holder for smoking articles;

FIG. 4 is a top view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a side view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

This invention is described in preferred embodiments in the following description with reference to the Figures, in which like numbers represent the same or similar elements. Referring to FIG. 1, Applicants' apparatus 100 comprises a semi-circular smoking article holder 110, vertical shaft 120, and tapering point 130, wherein holder 110 is attached to a first end of shaft 120 and tapering point 130 is attached to the second, i.e. opposite end of shaft 120. Apparatus 100 may be conveniently carried by golfers as they move over a golf course. Using smoking article holder 110 as a handle, tapering end 130 is placed on the surface of the course, and downward pressure is exerted on holder 110 to drive end 130 into the soil thereby fixturing apparatus 100 in an upright orientation. A smoking article, such as for example a cigarette, a cigar, or a pipe, may be placed within holder 110.

The temperature of a lit cigarette or cigar at the side of the lit portion is about 400° C., or about 752° F. The temperature of a lit cigarette or cigar at the middle of the lit portion is approximately 580° C., or about 1112° F. Prior art smoking article holders are formed from materials such as wood and/or plastic. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, a smoking article holder 110 made from wood and/or plastic cannot withstand temperatures of 400° C. or higher without, at the very least, discoloring. In additional to discoloration, such a wood and/or plastic smoking article holder will likely also suffer degradation of its mechanical properties evidenced by warping, crazing, and the like. Moreover, there exists a significant likelihood that such a wood and/or plastic article might actually ignite and burn.

Applicants' smoking article holder 110 is formed from a material which can withstand temperatures of 580° C. without discoloring, warping, crazing, igniting, and/or burning. In certain embodiments, Applicants' smoking article holder 110 is formed from aluminum. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, aluminum has a melting point of about 660° C., or about 1221° F.

As those skilled in the art will further appreciate, aluminum is a good conductor of heat. If a lit cigarette/cigar is placed on Applicants' smoking article holder 110, heat will be transferred from the cigarette/cigar, and that heat will be conducted throughout the element 110. Raising the temperature of holder portion 110 could present a number of problems. An attempt to grasp apparatus 100 by element 110 to remove the apparatus from the ground might lead to a burn injury. In addition, if a heated smoking article holder 110 is placed in a golf bag containing one or more golf clubs, damage to both the bag and the clubs could result.

Referring now to FIG. 2, to avoid such personal injury and/or property damage resulting from contact with a heated holder element 110, Applicants' apparatus 200 comprises smoking article holder 210, shaft 120, and tapering point 130. In certain embodiments, smoking article holder 210 comprises a semi-circular element 110 formed from aluminum, with coating 220 disposed over the entire interior surface of holder 210. Coating 220 has a thermal conductivity less than the thermal conductivity of aluminum. In certain embodiments, coating 220 comprises aluminum oxide. Aluminum has a thermal conductivity at 200° C. of 237 W/mK, and a melting point of about 660° C.

Aluminum oxide on the other hand has a thermal conductivity at 200° C. of 17.9 W/mK, and a melting point greater than 1200° C.

In certain embodiments, coating 220 comprises a foam structure comprising struts formed of aluminum oxide and open cells wherein those cells are filled with air. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, a cellular aluminum oxide structure has a heat capacity and thermal conductivity less than full density aluminum oxide, and much less than aluminum. Therefore, disposing a porous aluminum oxide coating 220 over the aluminum smoking article holder 110 thermally insulates the aluminum structure from the heat of a burning cigarette or cigar.

In certain embodiments, aluminum oxide coating 220 is formed over aluminum structure 110 using an anodization process. Anodizing is a type of electrolysis used to place a protective oxide coating on metal. The metal acts as the anode (positive pole) of an electrolytic cell. Negatively charged oxide ions pass through a solution called an electrolyte, and oxidize the surface of the metal. In certain embodiments, the resulting oxide coating comprises a porous outside layer, i.e. a cellular coating.

In certain embodiments, Applicants' portable apparatus further comprises an ash repository. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3, shaft 320 comprises a tubular member which encloses lumen 330. Referring now to FIG. 5, in these embodiments tapering end 340 comprises tapering point 130 in combination with cylindrical member 352 comprising threads 354. In these embodiments, distal end 322 (FIG. 3) of tubular member 320 (FIG. 3) is threaded, and the diameter of lumen 330 (FIG. 3) and the diameter of cylindrical member 352 (FIG. 4) are adjusted, such that end portion 340 can be threadedly attached to the distal end 322 of shaft 320.

FIG. 4 is a top view of apparatus 300. Smoking article holder 410, comprising a coating 220 comprising aluminum oxide, is formed to include aperture 430. Aperture 430 communicates with lumen 330. The lit portion of a cigarette or cigar comprising an ash component can be inserted into and/or scraped against aperture 430 to remove the ash from the lit cigarette/cigar. That removed ash then falls into lumen 330 for storage. Subsequently, tapering end 340 can be unscrewed from shaft 320 and the ash removed from lumen 330. In addition, lumen 330 may be rinsed with water, with that water flowing into one end of shaft 320 and flowing out of the opposite end. Tapering end 340 can them be reattached to distal end 322, and the cleansed apparatus 300 is again ready for use.

While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated in detail, it should be apparent that modifications and adaptations to those embodiments may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims. 

1. A portable apparatus for holding smoking articles, comprising: a semi-circular member formed from a metal comprising a first melting point; a coating disposed on said semi-circular member, wherein said coating comprises a second melting point, wherein said second melting point is greater than said first melting point; a shaft having a first end and an opposing second end, wherein said semi-circular member is attached to said first end, and wherein said second end tapers to a point.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said metal comprises aluminum.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said coating comprises aluminum oxide.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said coating comprises a plurality of struts separated by a plurality of open cells.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said metal comprises a first thermal conductivity and said coating comprises a second thermal conductivity, wherein said first thermal conductivity is greater than said second thermal conductivity.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said first melting point is greater than 600° C.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said semi-circular member is formed to include an aperture, and wherein said shaft comprises a tubular member having a first open end and a second open end, and wherein said first open end communicates with said aperture.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a tapering end removeably attached to said second open end of said tubular member.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said tapering end can be threadedly engaged with said second open end of said tubular member. 